Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a well-known physician from Gaza, has appeared in public for the first time since being detained by Israeli forces, raising fresh alarm among legal advocates and rights monitors after he was seen looking visibly weakened during proceedings at Israel’s Supreme Court in occupied Jerusalem.

The hearing ended without a final decision, with judges delaying their ruling while much of the case continues to remain hidden from public scrutiny. Speaking before the court, Abu Safiya rejected the basis of his detention, insisting he had been fulfilling his duties as a doctor under internationally recognised humanitarian obligations throughout the genocidal war on Gaza.

Lawyers representing the physician said he is being held in severe conditions inside Nafha Prison, where he has reportedly spent long periods in solitary confinement without proper medical attention. According to the defence team, signs of deterioration were evident during the hearing, including visible exhaustion and untreated skin problems said to have emerged during his imprisonment. They also accused Israeli authorities of continuing to withhold crucial information related to the case.

The detention of medical workers from Gaza has drawn mounting criticism from rights groups amid broader concerns over the treatment of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Advocacy organisations say thousands of Palestinians remain imprisoned, including doctors, paramedics and humanitarian staff detained during the genocidal war. Former detainees and legal representatives have repeatedly reported allegations of torture, medical neglect and degrading conditions inside detention facilities.

Campaigners have urged international bodies to intervene immediately, warning that the continued imprisonment of healthcare professionals and the reported denial of medical care risk constituting serious breaches of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions.